US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils

36 count pack

Wax core

Hexagonal barrel

Budget-priced

Pros:

Structurally Strong

Cons:

Not a lot of Color

Cheap Packaging

Limited Color Options

US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils Review

With what could be considered the water-friendly sibling to US Art’s colored pencil line, these watercolors come in a very similar package and quantity and if it wasn’t for the label saying so you might get them confused at first glance. Available in a 36 count pack, these share some of the pros and many of the cons with each other. They are lacking in certain hues and overall the color could be considered relatively weak. The strong wax core means that there is a rather waxy finish and the color application does not go on very soft. These also have a hexagonal outer shell.

Visual Appeal – 2/5

Simply put, most of these just don’t have a lot of color output. With the addition of water, this will obviously further dilute the look to the point where you will probably have to go back over it multiple times to get the desired effect. This can be frustrating when you are working of areas on a piece that you really want to jump off of the page. Only being available in a 36 count set, there are going to be noticeable gaps in desired colors so you might have to improvise in some areas.

Usability and durability – 3.5/5

Structurally these pencils are quite strong and should be able to handle any sort of abuse thrown at them. Being hexagonal, gripping them should also not be an issue. Expect the application to be a bit waxy and not overly buttery due to the hard core. So while they can take quite a bit of abuse you won’t really get much added performance from them by applying extra pressure.

Packaging and presentation – 1/5

You will definitely be reminded that these are “budget” pencils when you look at the plastic sleeve this come in. It really provides no protection outside of simply not having them directly exposed to air, and getting them all back in place and in one row can be quite annoying. It is a cheap set so we don’t expect anything overly fancy, but would it have hurt to upgrade to at least a cardboard box? The pencils themselves are color-coordinated on the outside with no real marking to identify the specifics of them.

Cost – 2/5

These are on the high side of being budget-priced. It would be wise to keep an eye out for sales if you want these as, for the price, you can get into something with a similar if not a slightly better performance for cheaper. The cheap presentation of these is also a negative tick and does not justify the higher price.

Overall review – 2.5/5

A ho-hum watercolor pencil that shares many similar traits to its dry sibling. Lack of intense color, even fewer color options, and poor packaging makes this one hardly a home run choice. Shop around for some of the other sets that are in this price range and we think you’ll be much happier.

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